I've just ordered some gear via GearBest (including that nichrome wire I've been unable to find locally) and have registered and insured all orders for delivery to the door.

Anyone else have any experience with GearBest, and what's your success rate (for delivery) been like? Insured or uninsured, tracked or untracked?

Obviously NOT using tracking or insurance is just a complex way of donating your goods to a complete stranger, but I'm still keen to hear what experiences others have had.

I also paid for each order through PayPal so there's at least SOME dispute resolution available to me.

Slow day at the soapy factory, SC?

beaker wrote: ↑Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:23 pm I've ordered 10 different times from GearBest and never had any problems. Never have they delivered to my door tho .You have to ask them to put your phone number on the address label and the post office calls when they arrive (well, that's the way they do here in Ta Khmao) All but one time I have used the free shipping the one time i upgraded the shipping and tracking it didn't come any faster and the tracking lags so far behind and dosen't work here in cambodia.

Yeah, I honestly don't expect any except the DHL order to be brought to me, although even the DHL guy is a lazy bastard who parks up at PP Sports Club and calls customers to come and get their stuff. I tend not to tip him, although I tip anyone who brings mail to the door.

What was really weird was that the free shipping options (in this case) were all faster than the expedited shipping options.

I've got a mix of delivery methods going with four different orders, two with free shipping and the others with minimal amounts. What surprised me a little was that for two shipments the options were Belgian Registered Mail and (I'm guessing from memory here) Switzerland Registered Mail. Never seen that before.

that genius wrote: ↑Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:24 pm Slow day at the soapy factory, SC?

It's a sabbathy kinda day.

Sounds like a kind of Adventurous day.

Bit of a quick update on this for the two people who are interested.

For once I had no issue paying online with my Australian PayPal account - normally the ANZ Talon (credit card anti-fraud team) are all over it and cancel transactions when I forget to VPN, which I forgot to do in this case.

For four separate orders (different warehouses) Gearbest paused the most expensive transaction and contacted me for proof of ID and evidence supporting my postal address in Australia, and shipping address in Cambodia.

Although it was a little annoying, I actually really appreciated the effort they took to prove identity and potentially prevent a fraudulent use of my credit card.

What was cute was that once each of the four transactions was approved, a button appeared on the orders page marked "Hurry my order" or some such. The Info button stated that pressing the button would hurry their internal process but not change shipping time. I haven't seen this before, and think it's a great way of allowing the customer to think they're actually in control of part of the fulfillment process.

StroppyChops wrote: ↑Tue Jul 24, 2018 7:25 pm Bit of a quick update on this for the two people who are interested.

For once I had no issue paying online with my Australian PayPal account - normally the ANZ Talon (credit card anti-fraud team) are all over it and cancel transactions when I forget to VPN, which I forgot to do in this case.

For four separate orders (different warehouses) Gearbest paused the most expensive transaction and contacted me for proof of ID and evidence supporting my postal address in Australia, and shipping address in Cambodia.

Although it was a little annoying, I actually really appreciated the effort they took to prove identity and potentially prevent a fraudulent use of my credit card.

What was cute was that once each of the four transactions was approved, a button appeared on the orders page marked "Hurry my order" or some such. The Info button stated that pressing the button would hurry their internal process but not change shipping time. I haven't seen this before, and think it's a great way of allowing the customer to think they're actually in control of part of the fulfillment process.

I can see that idea catching on in restaurants, bars and maybe airlines . Give everyone a red button to press to make them feel special.